Boredom is the enemy of education. These resources aim to give students an engaging, fun way into topics that are relevant to their lives, including awkward ones like sex education, and informing about issues that are shaping the world and their future. My hope is that they help be an effective tool to the teacher to wake up a hunger for knowledge in students, and that everyone in the classroom would have a more enjoyable and enriching experience because of their use.
Boredom is the enemy of education. These resources aim to give students an engaging, fun way into topics that are relevant to their lives, including awkward ones like sex education, and informing about issues that are shaping the world and their future. My hope is that they help be an effective tool to the teacher to wake up a hunger for knowledge in students, and that everyone in the classroom would have a more enjoyable and enriching experience because of their use.
This is an ambitious project to cover the entire UK citizenship government framework in 26 lessons of increasing difficulty over 5 age groups (11-16). It uses a range of teaching strategies, including individual and team work, developing public speaking skills and active citizenship engagement in the year 8 section of the course. It focuses on students having a keen idea of their own background whilst also being able to ‘sonder’ (appreciate the realness of others) and truly empathise, as well as having a historical understanding of why we are where we are in the world.
This lesson focusses on what democracy means, what parliament is and the importance of voting.
These schemes use key questions instead of learning objectives which are then used as mini plenaries throughout.
Videos and worksheets included as powerpoint slides for ease of access and printing where necessary.
Key Questions
What is Parliament?
What does Parliament do?
How important is voting?
This is an ambitious project to cover the entire UK citizenship government framework in 26 lessons of increasing difficulty over 5 age groups (11-16). It uses a range of teaching strategies, including individual and team work, developing public speaking skills and active citizenship engagement in the year 8 section of the course. It focuses on students having a keen idea of their own background whilst also being able to ‘sonder’ (appreciate the realness of others) and truly empathise, as well as having a historical understanding of why we are where we are in the world.
This lesson focusses on what it means to be an active citizen, using examples of active citizens from all over the world including videos and resources that can be printed straight from the PPT.
These schemes use key questions instead of learning objectives which are then used as mini plenaries throughout.
Videos and worksheets included as powerpoint slides for ease of access and printing where necessary.
Key Questions
How can we contribute positively to our environment?
What are some examples of active citizenship?
What can I learn from these examples?
This is an ambitious project to cover the entire UK citizenship government framework in 26 lessons of increasing difficulty over 5 age groups (11-16). It uses a range of teaching strategies, including individual and team work, developing public speaking skills and active citizenship engagement in the year 8 section of the course. It focuses on students having a keen idea of their own background whilst also being able to ‘sonder’ (appreciate the realness of others) and truly empathise, as well as having a historical understanding of why we are where we are in the world.
This lesson starts with the students own identity, before moving on to consider the South African concept of Ubuntu: I am because we are. This lesson Can be bought as part of a package.
These schemes use key questions instead of learning objectives which are then used as mini plenaries throughout.
Videos and worksheets included as powerpoint slides for ease of access and printing where necessary.
Key questions
What is identity?
What is culture?
Is there an ‘us’ and a ‘them’?
Challenge:
Evaluate the idea of Ubuntu.
Feedback always welcome.
This resource is intended to be a quick and easy resource to inform students about puberty. Aimed primarily at 10-14 year olds, it’s a great start for beginning understanding the biological and emotional changes and challenges of this transformation from a child’s to an adults body. It includes videos which explain, in very child friendly terms, the what, how and why of puberty, and has space for class discussion too.
Ideal for specialists and non-specialists alike.
A lesson to help students understand and develop their relationship with their own values. It includes activities, youtube videos and some disciplinary literacy around the word value, and where it comes from. A must for any PHSE, citizenship or relationships teacher trying to help students get a grip on their own values in a world which is changing at an increasing pace.
A lesson which aims to mythbust many of the global misconceptions about Islam which has led to widespread islamophobia. It focuses mainly on the UK but is globally relevant, and aims to expose the media bias against Muslims, how a tiny minority of people who claim the title of ‘Muslim’ have taken control of the narrative of what it is to be Muslim, and how we can address this.
Learning questions include:
Identify the meaning of Islamophobia?
What are some of the myths surrounding Islam and Muslims?
What would be an appropriate response?
Why is Islamophobia on the rise?
It includes a range of activities, from group work, discussion, individual writeen work and youtube videos. Tasks are differentiated by outcome, and is currently targeted at KS3-4 students. With tweeking it could easily be made into a KS2 resource, as it also includes Muslim art for students to make an anti-Islamophobia wall. I have intentionally put too much into this so you can prune out whatever you wish to.
This ppt is part of a campaign our school ran about plastic litter and pollution. It includes a script (obviously an outline) inspiring spoken word links to prince EA’s video, and activities for form teachers to show students to try and encourage recycling and rethinking the impact of waste.
Included here are a couple of variations on the assembly too, in case you need it. Also included an intro slideshow as the students enter.
Gender and sexuality can be confusing for students (and teachers!), many of whom do not understand the idea of gender being a spectrum rather than a binary role connected to biological sex. Indeed, most do not understand that gender and sex are different things.
This presentation aims to present the different arguments around gender, varying from people who feel that their gender is different from their biological sex (transgender) or those who are biologically intersex (about 1-2% of the global population). It acknowledges that some people are very closed to the idea of transgenderism, whilst acknowledging the biological fact of intersex. It includes and article about Caster Semenya, the South African runner banned from competing in events because her testosterone is too high and told she would need to take medication to address this, as well as youtube videos, graphics, group discussion activities, opinion lines/corners, and written comprehension questions. There are also definition tasks too.
Ideal for KS3-5 students. (11-18yr old) A range of tasks that will not fit into an hour, so pick which work for you.
Learning questions include:
What is gender?
What is the difference between ‘intersex’, ‘transgender’, ‘transexual’ and ‘non-binary’?
What is a ‘patriarchy’?
Is gender a choice?
Is gender a spectrum?
This is a new resource on a tricky issue: feedback warmly, warmly welcomed.
Many thanks.
This lesson attempts to answer these four learning questions:
What is ‘climate chaos’?
What is extinction rebellion and it’s aims?
What is non violent direct action (NVDA)?
Is it an effective way to create social change?
What do you think about it?
After briefly exploring the impact of 1-6 degrees climate change, this lesson looks at the actions of the extinction rebellion movement as a modern example of NVDA. Briefly looking at the history of Greta Thunberg’s school strikes, which are ongoing, it shows XR’s aims and methods through a Guardian documentary. The four videos which can be used for this are included in the resource. Drawing on a brief history of NVDA (civil rights, sufragettes, indian independence and more recently black lives matter and the occupy movement) it then encourages students to evaluate the effectiveness of this mode of political engagement.
Extension task available of a group task exploring the ways the planet and climate change affects our air, earth, water, resources, food AND climate.
Feedback really welcome as this is made in a short amount of time.
Thanks!
With Brexit being a ubiqutous and fairly exhausting topic in the news, I made this to try and teach my KS3 and 4 students about and explore their opinions on it. Mostly, students respond to the first learning question with ‘Brexit means brexit’ which has about as much substance as the middle of a doughnut. Not the jam ones.
Learning questions:
What is Brexit?
What is the EU?
What are the different Brexit options?
What are the arguments for and against it?
Stretch and Challenge:
After weighing up both sides of the argument, what is my opinion?
Some differentiation included, with a brief summary of the seven main brexit options available.
There is also a critical thinking extension which explores a claim that the PM’s deal meets all requirements, which is produced by a thinktank. Students will be shown how to use google power search’s ‘WHO IS’ function to find out who the director of that thinktank is, and how they have conservative leanings, hopefully boosting awareness of bias and independent thought.
There are group tasks as well as individual work and opinion line activities included. Also attached here are the ‘four corners’ posters which can be stuck on the four corners of the room so students move to that area depending on their opinion.
6 lessons which explore democracy, mutual respect, tolerance, rule of law and liberty through a variety of lenses. Aiming to hit PHSE, SMSC, Citizenship and FBV targets this scheme of work is pretty ambitious.
The lessons include:
A personal perspective: where are we looking from?
Uncomfortable histories: how has britain not lived up to FBV in the past?
Money and Exploitation: how money is used and abused in meeting FBV
Cultural Variations: Is our way the right way?
Ways Forward: So how can we improve the situation?
FBV and Global Citizenship Assessment
Lessons include differentiated activities, group, pair, whole class and individual work, with a wide variety of videos and tasks to be getting on with. Students tend to enjoy these lessons.
An assessment to see how much students have engaged and learnt from this scheme of work. There are two options, with differentiated questions to answer one after the other or a creative assessment option where students create something of their choosing (poem, rap, painting etc. which answers the questions in their own way).
It comes with printable questions and levelled marking grids to help you mark in a time efficient, clear way.
Enjoy :)
This is a lesson that focusses on the FBV of tolerance and mutual respect. It looks at worldwide variations in family structures, gender and religion. It encourages students to see their ideas of ‘normal’ (i.e. in France they drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road) as simply another way to do things. Hopefully without slipping into complete relativism, students are encouraged to question, develop and refine their opinions rather than give any opinions up all together. Learning objectives include:
Does culture affect what is ‘normal’?
How and why does culture affect religion, gender and family?
Extension: Does the information in this lesson change how you think about your own norms and values?
Tasks are differentiated by outcome, with group learning carousel, whole class discussion, and individual tasks all incuded. Questions become increasingly high level as they go on. Suitable for KS3-5. With some simplification it could work with KS2, but it would take some work to do so. It includes in the powerpoint slides to print out with the information on the case studies and a document about the many different forms of Islam in the world, and how culture affects religion. (As an aside, I could have chosen any religion. Christianity has 40 000 types!)
This lesson has been a few years in the making. I have been struggling to get together decent resources that inform, without shame or judgement, a generation of young people for whom porn is highly accesible, in huge quantities and ubiquitous (25% of all internet searches are for pornography).
I hope this goes some way towards that ambition.
The lesson covers:
What is pornography?
Why is it so addictive?
Is pornography having a negative effect on society?
Should all, or some pornography, be illegal?
It includes research tasks about fightthenewdrug.org, and then goes on to deconstruct that website to try and encourage critical thought, infographics, group tasks, debates and discussions. It aims to inform students of the dangers of porn addiction.
I have included here some controversial material for KS5 if you want to have a more nuanced discussion. The research done in the article ‘the sunny side of smut’ is quite problematic, and students should be directed to deconstruct it whilst also considering the points it makes.
Feedback really, really welcome.
This lesson is part of a scheme of work on Judaism, aimed at KS2-3 students. The objectives it covers are:
To know and understand the main symbols of prayer in the home
To think about what is most important in my life, and write a short prayer or poem about it and create a symbol for it
It includes the main symbols used by Jews in prayer, including the Tefillin, Mezuzah, Kippah and Tallit. Ideally you would have these in the classroom and be able to dress up a student in them. There’s also a song including of the Shema, the main prayer of Judaism.
Differentiated comprehension questions, a range of activities, and information slides to help students get to grips with how Jews may worship in the home. Worksheets also included.
This lesson aims to explore the seder meal with students, and includes the necessary information to run your own mini seder meal in the classroom if you so choose. It is part of a scheme of work where students create a booklet about Judaism, and hence one of the objectives is about creating the relevant chapter of that booklet.
Objectives include:
To know what Seder is, and the main signs and symbols that are used
To prepare for Project Chapter 5
To think about the importance of Festivals in our own lives
There are differentiated activities in this KS2-3 resource, and ideally there would be some role play that the powerpoint and teacher would facilitate with groups of 6. Lesson plan, song, youtube links and powerpoint iuncluded. Enjoy!
This lesson aims to cover 3 objectives, and is lesson 4 in a series about Judaism and the key beliefs, symbols and practices within it. It is part of a Judaism booklet project.
These objectives are:
To know what the Passover is, and understand the importance of it for Jewish people.
To prepare for Project – chapter 4 (of a booklet)
To reflect on the value of freedom.
Differentiation by task (comprehension questions), video links embedded, and team work tasks (T-P-S) are all included, as well as a cover lesson with a couple of options for the cover teacher. The presentation itself is in a prezi, the link for which can be found in the lesson plan, which is also included.
The video clips are from the Disney film: the prince of Egypt, and students always enjoy this zooming presentation. The presentation can be downloaded onto your hard drive if you wish to.
This is a marketplace activity which aims to give students some introductory knowledge about four key aspects of Jewish life. The four aspects included here are:
Beliefs about G-d
The Shema
Shabbat
The Ten Commandments
What are some key Jewish beliefs and practices?
What are their benefits for Jewish people?
EXT: What are their challenges for Jewish people?
Good lesson for Religious Studies, PHSE, Citizenship, SMSC and improving community understanding.
This resource looks at Jewish identity, and is part of a scheme of work about the Shoah/Holocaust. It includes some basic beliefs about G-d (including why Jews often write G-d, instead of God) as well as a brief overview of 1000 years of anti-semitism. It puts the anti-semitism that flared into the Shoah into perspective and I’ve used it mainly with KS3 students. It includes a clip of some survivors testimonies which speak about their experience of antisemitism, and has differentiated tasks that explore quotes from the Torah and Talmud in more depth. Extension tasks also included. Easily adaptable for KS4.
Ideal for religious studies, SMSC, citizenship and PHSE.
Learning Questions (Objectives) include:
Can I imagine the possible impacts of the Holocaust on a Jewish person?
How may the Holocaust have influenced or challenged Jewish beliefs?
What are some key Jewish Beliefs?
EXTENSION: Can I evaluate how the Holocaust may effect Jewish people today?
This lesson explores who is to blame for the Shoah/Holocaust. It endeavours to introduce nuance and deeper empathy into students’ understanding in that the Shoah cannot simply be Hitler’s fault: millions of people collaborated, agreed and perpetuated anti-semitism, including some Jews in the Ghettos who faced making impossible decisions in desperate circumstances. Activities are differentiated, with youtube videos of survivors testimonies (which are a little quiet), and the lesson is perfect for religious studies, PHSE, citizenship and SMSC. It’s perhaps a bit personal for a history lesson, but may be used to augment existing scheme’s of work to help engagement.
Learning Questions include:
Can I describe the different things that were lost in the Holocaust? (level 4-5)
Can I explain my opinion on who was responsible for different things in the Holocaust? (5-6)
Can I evaluate different opinions on who was to blame in specific situations? (level 6-7)
There are also extension tasks which include footage of Otto Frank after his loss of his entire family.
All feedback gratefully received.